Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1887-01-15

generally that the tariff which excludes the |
Productions Of foreign psuper labor gives
and that they are anything but satisfied with
their share OF ''protectiou." But as rail- |
roads that may make half dozen twenty
fold millionaires, at the expense OF the gen.
eral public will command the vote OF the
needy lsborer whose only hope is to get the
poor pay OF few days hard work, 80 In spite
OF all Its manifest absurdities and iniqutties,
does the idea OF tariff protection commend
itself to the masses of workingmen, because
IN them IL seems 10 have at least the merit OF
keeping work in tho country,"-or "pre.
venting foreigners from doing our work"
For my part do not think IL makes more
than a Temporary difference to the working
men OF Pennsylvania, or any other state,
whether there is protective tariff, a revenue
tariff or no tariff at ALL A tariff only oper-
afes upon the movement Of goods, not upon
the movement OF labor, aud in its effect is
similar to that of range of mountains, q
sandy desert or pirate in tested sea, In max |
ing more difficult the transportation of com. |
modities. And with or without any of these |
things to effect the transportation of goods |
from other countries, the conditions OF labor |
in Pennsylvania are such as must beget |
tendency OF wages toward the minimum
which gives the mere laborer only bare
existence, tendency which can only here
and there be held somewhat in check by
custom labor combinations, boycotts and
strikes. The existence of the tramp, the
psuper, the needy workman vainly seeking
the opportunity to sell the only thing he has
10 sell, his power OF LABOR, Is proof of the eN-
istence and force OF this tendency, against
which the strongest labor combinations
struggle like swimmers against the current
But the belief in protection, by drawing the
attention OF men away from the real cause OF
this tendency, and bounding them upon a
false scent, diverts them from the only road
by which the rights OF labor can be secured.
A sUPPosITlTIoCs CASE.
II Pennsylvania could be cut OIL from all
the rest of mankind by an impossible ditch
/ or an unscsable wsll-sn isolation which the
| philosophy Of Pennsylvania protectionists
| might lead them devoutly to wish-the nat
| ursl growth OF population and the progress
OF material development must constantly
| tend to force the wages OF the mere laborer
TO the point of bare existence. For though
| labor Is the appointed means by which all
| our material needs must be satished-the &C
| tive factor in the production of all wealth
| labor is OF itself absolutely helpless To
| make labor of any use 1t must have some
thing to impress itself upon-must, in short
! be able to ava. itself of land. In any COM
munity, therefore, in which the land is the
| private property OF some OF the people, the
other people who have nothing but the ordi-
nary power to labor, provided they get food,
| clothing and shelter, become helpless and
| must compete with each other for permis.
| sion from the first class to live and to work.
| The influence of competition with each other
among these mere lsborers must tend to
force them to give up TO the owners OF land
sll that their labor can produce upon 1t, save
just enough to keep them in life.
HELPLEssSEss OF TIE LABoRER.
The whole philosophy of the labor ques
tion may be seen as clearly upon Pennsyl
! | vania coal estate as amid the primitive indus
, | trial cond itons which obtain in Connemsri
n | or Skye. From zenith 10 nsdir, that part o
b | the globe embraced in one of these coal es
II tates is the exclusive property OF one man. o
i Corporation. Other men can only live on hi
sutfsrsnce, and can only go to work at hi
!, Pleasure and on terms agreed to with him
!, Having an absolute power over the nsturs
means of livelihood, he has thus a powe
Is over the laborers, which is only modified b,
y their power Of moving away, and OF maxim
~ com mblnstions among themselves by whic
y be can be compelled to treat with them in th
aggregate, and can be put TO loss or incop ve
D ntence by their refusal 10 WORK. In the com
10 plex industries OF the great city which lie
Is Al the other extreme OF the Industrial scale
l. where III uch labor is devoted to exchanging
10 the rendering of services, and to the work
re ing up of materials that have been take
=, from their original natural reservoirs, the re
le lston bet ~een lsnd and labor is not so obvi
1I Gus, especially ss there are many othe
10 monopoies of various kinds that share wit
Nss ~ the mono poly of land the earnings whic
y y the bel pfulness OF labor compels 1t to yiel
y up But the same relation still obtains. \
a matter where be exists man ia q land an
q NAL who can only live on and from land
l and all of whose production Is but the chsng
"a ing in place or form OF what he finds slresd
y in existence on the superticies of the globe
10 The mere laborer, unless ne has such specis
n' skill or ability as makes a peculiar demsn
for his services, is as helpless in the on
place as the other and every avenue OF en-
ia | ployment is crowded with applicants who
10 disn nerited of thelr natural right to emplO
- themselves, must compete with each othe
uo fot the wages Of an employer.
On How monopoly begets monopoly, an
ze Special privilege leads 10 general corruption
a might nowhere be better illustrated than i
lie ring ridden Pennsylvania, with its railroa
al octopus, its coal combinations, its Standsr
he Oh company and its pig-iroD statesmen.
rh And Pennsylvania may well feel hopeless
be cutting away the monopoistic creepel
le / Fhioh have enmeshed the Keystone stat
I'D Take q pass =. rs!d Pennsy ivan ian TO III,
20 as ! manifested some mild surprise at th
IN statement that, although railroad passes al
IN prohibited by the constitution, GovernC
re- Pattison was the only man in the state VIII
- would not take a pass" Take pass Whf
OF IL the use of lighting a corporation that rule
's, the state. would take a whole freight trsi
". II they would give II to ma" But though
ne may be useless TO hack away at the brsnche q
,h the tree of monopoly will fail II the axe /
OF laid at its root And private property
Mt land, II viii be found on examination, Is Ii
n, root of lesser monopolles.